Next to Me
by Shaz1
Summary: My entry into the NCIS LA Magazine Challenge #2 - This is the story of Buddy- Callen's dog and how the two will be forever linked.
1. Chapter 1

Next to Me

By shaz1

Disclaimer: none of the characters in this story belong to me and unfortunately I will have to return them all shortly.

This is my offering in the second NCIS:LA challenge- to write a story featuring Buddy the dog mentioned in Standoff. Sorry it is cutting it so fine for the deadline, but I have been off on my travels again!

This is linked to my story- Jar of Hearts, and obviously to the episode Standoff.

Next to Me

Callen sighed as he headed into the office- he had yet to face the team since he had escorted Tracey Keller back from the Cayman Islands. The previous week had been filled with ups and downs that forced him to face memories that he had long since fought to suppress. He knew that the team would have questions to answer- but he couldn't face the prospect of verbalising an explanation. He moved silently across to his desk and placed his bag down, revelling in the peace whilst it landed. Barely had the thought crossed his mind as a bundle of noise and motion filled the room as the younger partnership walked across to the desk area. Bickering between themselves, they barely noticed the senior agent as they were lost in their banter.

"Oh morning Callen" Kensi greeted with a radiant smile, as she approached the agent and enveloped him in a hug. "How was the trip?" she asked him softly.

"Hot and sunny, and I am glad to be back" Callen responded carefully, his expression masked even to the junior agent that knew him so well.

"You might not be thinking that when you get read in on the case" Kensi warned playfully. Callen grinned at her before turning back to his desk and picking up his coffee and heading over to see the Ops manager.

"Ah Mr Callen- welcome back. Everything went to plan I trust?" Hetty asked softly as she looked over the agent that was like a son to her.

"Yes Hetty- everything went exactly to plan" Callen responded with a sigh.

"And did you get the closure that you needed?"

"I got that a long time ago Hetty" the experienced agent stated with a smile.

"Did you really Mr Callen?" the savvy ops manager questioned, looking at the young man over the rim of her glasses.

"Of course Hetty- it's all water under the bridge" he stated as he got to his feet and headed back to his desk to finalise the paperwork. Hetty shook her head as she watched her young charge walk away.

"You don't even fool yourself Mr Callen" she muttered as she watched him retreat.

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"I still can't believe you were married G" Sam commented with a smile.

"Fake married Sam" Callen corrected with a sigh.

"So fake was it? Did you have the whole house and the works?" Sam questioned, keen to obtain a further insight into the past of his partner.

"That's classified Sam" Callen replied, using the last of his patience.

"Well we know you had a dog- Buddy was it?" Sam pushed, his tone light as he went for the usual banter he enjoyed with his best friend.

"Just leave it Sam" Callen stated forcefully- finally losing his rag as he got to his feet and headed out of the building. The previous case had forced him to dredge up memories of the past that he had preferred to leave buried. The fact that yet again Tracey had tried to betray him hadn't come as a shock to him- but it really hadn't helped with his perception of the world. Sam looked on as his partner got to his feet and headed out.

"I guess he doesn't want to talk about it" Kensi muttered as she observed the exchange between the partners.

"Well that's tough- he isn't going to move on from this until he gets it off his chest" Sam stated determination in his voice as he too got to his feet and headed after his best friend.

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Callen sighed as he noticed the instantly recognisable shadow of his partner appearing behind him.

"I'm fine Sam" he stated with another sigh.

"Sure you are G- you always leave the office just before getting read into a new case" Sam responded. "What happened G?" he asked gently.

"I can't tell you Sam" Callen replied firmly, his eyes still fixed on the rolling waves in front of him.

"Can't or won't?" the older man asked, knowing his partner well enough to know that he wouldn't want to talk.

"It's classified Sam- I can't tell you, it's above even Hetty's clearance" the team leader explained quietly. Sam sat back and observed his friend- his face was serious and his eyes held an unusual faraway look to them. Callen barely recognised his friend's presence beside him as he found himself lost in another time- when he had been a different person.

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**Ten Years Earlier**

Callen walked up the front path of his current home, turning the key in the lock whilst balancing the shopping on his knee- he stepped through the door and was unsurprised to find his partner in the kitchen already making the dinner.

"Hi hunni I'm home" he hollered as he walked into the house. Tracey looked up at him and smiled in greeting.

"Hi babes- good day at work?" she asked as she walked over and kissed him softly on the cheek.

"Enthralling" he responded with a roll of his eyes. "Where's Buddy?" he asked, noticing the absence of his dog immediately.

"He is out in the yard. That dog stinks Callen- he needs a bath" she told him accusingly. Callen sighed- he knew that Tracey hated the dog that he had rescued a month earlier. He had been out on a run around the neighbourhood making sure that as many people as possible saw him in the area to introduce him to the community. He had been an undercover agent for more than ten years, and he was all too aware that the attention to the smallest of details could make a huge difference to an alias. As he was running down the road he heard a loud squeal of brakes and a thud, turning around sharply he was just in time to see a car turn around and speed off leaving a clearly injured Labrador laid bleeding in the middle of the road. Needless to say he had got the dog medical attention, postered the neighbourhood to see if anyone had owned him- and as a result of no one coming forward had found himself the proud owner of a dog that he had christened Buddy. He personally felt that it added more credence to their cover- his 'wife' was less impressed.

"I'll put the shopping away, walk him and then I'll give him a bath" Callen placated her, before moving into the kitchen and doing exactly as he said. "Have you checked in yet?" he asked her as he worked.

"Yeah, no update from Langley as yet. Davis was happy with the inroads we have made so far. I have invited the Potters around for dinner on Friday night" she told him with a grin.

"Good- they are looking the likeliest at the moment. What about the location of the papers?" he asked.

"No update- Craig thinks they are in the old library, but he doesn't want us to strike until he gets more clarification on the intel" she told him, stirring the spaghetti sauce as she spoke. "Do you want to eat now or after you have sorted your dog?" she asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"After please" he replied.

"I will leave a plate for you- I am going to French lessons with Ali so I won't be back until about nine" she told him as she started serving out the food. He nodded in acknowledgement and headed into the yard to collect his dog.

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Weeks later and Callen was finally getting closer to cracking the case. The brief had been to establish themselves in the neighbourhood as husband and wife, secure as much intelligence in relation to the suspects and secure the evidence of the offences. Arms dealers were who they were after- but not just any arms dealers, ones that were more threat to national security than the nation had known since the end of the cold war. Callen had been a natural choice for the mission with his language skills- and the two of them worked so naturally together that the fake marriage had been the obvious tactic to establish them. He had worked tirelessly with his new wife beside him- and at last he had gathered enough evidence and information for the next phase of their mission. He had found himself actually enjoying his latest job- him and Tracey got along well and he actually found himself liking the stability of going home to the same place every night- walking his dog through the local neighbourhood and going out for beers with colleagues after work. He had never had any of that- and even though he knew that none of it was real, but he was actually happy. He smiled to himself as he ruffled the ears of his beloved dog- chuckling as Buddy leant back against him enjoying the spoil.

"Come on boy- let's get back and update your mom hey boy" he whispered as he got to his feet and started the walk back home to update his partner.

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"You with me G?" Sam hollered to his partner when he had failed to answer him for the first three times he had called him. Callen visibly shook himself to draw his mind back to the present. He sighed as he realised that he had completely zoned out on his partner as he had been lost to his memories.

"Yeah I'm with you Sam" he finally replied, rubbing his hands tiredly over his face.

"You good?" Sam questioned, not quite willing to let it rest yet.

"Yeah Sam, I'm good. I think I am going to head home- can you let Hetty know?" Callen requested softly as he got to his feet and started heading towards the sidewalk without any hesitation. Sam sighed, shaking his head to himself as he watched his friend walk away. It never failed to frustrate him how little he knew of his partner's past- he just wished the younger man would open up and talk to him about whatever was eating him up inside.

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Callen cursed himself as he headed towards his car- he shouldn't have let his mind drift so completely. He had revealed too much about his feelings by allowing himself to get lost in the past and now he knew his partner wouldn't leave it alone until he got to the background of the matter. He needed to snap out of this- his past always stirred up emotions in him that he usually kept hidden firmly behind a mask. Without hesitating he stepped through the porch of his house, popped open the fridge and took open a beer. Clutching a second in his other hand he walked straight through the house to the veranda and sat on the edge of the decking looking out at the setting sun- and allowed himself the indulgence of getting lost in his memories.

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**Nine years and six months earlier.**

Callen and Tracey had been living in marital harmony for over six months- and he couldn't help but enjoy his current cover. He knew in the back of his mind that soon the mission would be over- they were getting closer to the final strike with every passing day. He smiled to himself as he tickled Buddy's tummy and watched his practically purr in pleasure at the attention. He had already started coming up with plans in his mind that allowed him to keep the dog with him, despite him having no regular home or long term relationship- he just couldn't bear the thought of parting ways with his four legged companion. The two were beyond inseparable- the dog had quickly become the closest thing to family that the undercover agent had ever known- and there was no way he was going to give up on it easily. The final phase of the operation was due to start as all of the evidence that they had collated had been submitted and filed back at Langley- the higher ups couldn't have been more pleased with their progress- but they still had to finish it. The most damning papers were held at the embassy- it was a tough mission, but one that they knew they had to complete if they wanted to finish this and bring the terrorists down once and for all.

"You all set?" Tracey asked as soon as he stepped through the door of their shared home.

"Yep- 20:00hrs tonight the first of the charges are set" Callen replied as he closed the door behind him and checked the clip in his sidearm.

"Here- eat this, we need to roll in an hour" Tracey responded as she handed her husband a plate of steak.

"Thanks" he acknowledged, surprised at the gesture. Tracey nodded to accept his gratitude, before stepping away to tie her hair up in a high pony. Checking her own weapon, she sat on the bottom step to pull her boots on.

"You know, I am quite going to miss this little arrangement of ours Callen" she told him with a smile as she zipped up her boots, "although not so much that mangy mutt of yours" she added, spoiling the moment in one easy swoop.

"Buddy is not mangy Tracey" he argued as he ate his meal in otherwise silence, his loyal friend sat at the floor at his feet- puppy dog eyes locked on the steak.

"You are leaving him here tonight aren't you?" she asked him softly as she witnessed the exchange between man and his dog.

"No Buddy is part of the plan" Callen responded vaguely.

"And what part of the plan might that be?" Tracey asked as he walked over to where her partner was sat waiting. Sitting down beside him she gently squeezed his wrist. "Callen I know you love the dog- but really he'll be in the way" she told him softly- as though speaking to a young child.

"Tracey, Buddy knows what he has to do- he'll help us get in" Callen vowed with a grin.

"Do I even want to know what you have planned?" she finally asked.

"Probably not babe" Callen responded with a wink chewing his last mouthful or food as he gathered his plate and cutlery together and loaded the dishwasher. "Now are you ready to get this show on the road?" he questioned, putting spare clips into his pockets as he spoke.

"Hell yeah" she responded with a grin and together the two agents left the house for the last time- Buddy the dog hot on their heels. "So we're clear on the RV points?" Tracey questioned as she walked hand clasped tightly together with her husband.

"Yep" Callen muttered in response.

"And the safe houses?" she asked.

"Yep" he grunted in reply.

"You are not taking this seriously" she accused with a squeeze of his hand as she spoke.

"Everything is in place Tracey- let's get this done and then we can all go home" he assured her softly.

"Then what happens?" she asked him, he tone causing him to stop in his tracks.

"About what?" he asked – his blue orbs locked onto her chocolate brown eyes as she spoke.

"About us Callen- you know what" she prompted.

"I guess that we'll have to see how that goes" he told her- his background refusing to allow him to fully show his feelings to her.

"I would like to see how that goes" she told him gently stroking his cheek as she spoke. He shook himself to pull himself together.

"Then lets get this done and we'll be able to move on Mrs Keller" he told her with a grin.

"I'd like that a lot Mr Keller" she responded and he felt a warm glow in the pit of his stomach at her words. Maybe he did have a future, maybe there was hope that someone would finally love him and he could have everything he had missed out on as a child. With one final grin he quickened his pace and noticed Buddy speeding up beside him as they headed through the streets.

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"You head to the back, we'll get in at the front and I'll let you in" Callen told his wife softly as they approached the target.

"Stay safe" she whispered and then she was gone- disappeared into the other walkers and heading to her point without a further word being uttered between them.

"Just you and me now Buddy" Callen muttered as man and dog headed up to the front door of the expansive premises in front of him. Taking one last breath to transform himself into his alter ego he moved forward- and five minutes later everything went terribly wrong.

End Chapter One

Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Thank you so much for the reviews for the first half- I have really struggled to get this posted before the deadline, real life definitely caught up with me!

Please review this and let me know what you think.

Chapter Two

"Ah come on Hetty- you know more than that. What happened between Callen and this Tracey chick?" Sam practically whined at the ops manager- wanting more information on whatever was eating away at his partner.

"Mr Hanna- I have told you everything that I am able to" Hetty replied stubbornly. "Now I suggest that if you feel the need to know so desperately that you ask your partner" she informed him.

"And how do you see that going? Come on Hetty- whatever happened between them is eating him up, he sure as hell won't tell me what happened" Sam responded, hoping that she would take pity on him.

"Mr Hanna- your partner's activities within the CIA are highly classified- to the extent that I very much doubt even Director Vance has access to the details" Hetty reasoned with her senior agent.

"You must know something Hetty- you weren't surprised when she fled to the Caymans" Sam argued lightly.

"No Mr Hanna I wasn't- that is merely due to me being a good judge of character and not because I have intricate knowledge of Mr Callen's past relationships" Hetty stated with a sigh. "I know very little of anything that occurred between your partner and Miss Rossetti" she told him.

"Very little? So you do know something?" Sam prompted.

"I know that the last mission they worked together resulted in a hospital stay for your partner and the end of his relationship with his wife" Hetty responded reluctantly. "If you want any more detail you need to ask Mr Callen. Now if you don't mind I have work to be getting on with" she finished, her attention already moved to her paperwork in front of her. Sam sighed- knowing full well that it was the end of the conversation and he was to get no further information out of the tight lipped ops manager.

"I might just do that" Sam muttered as he got to his feet and headed out. He glanced at his watch- it was well passed clocking off time, now he had the decision to make- go to his partner's or head home and leave the younger man to stew. Mind made up- he grabbed his kit bag and headed to the challenger.

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Callen hadn't moved since he had sat out- and now dusk had fallen and his beers were empty. He felt emotionally exhausted as he remembered the mission that had taken what little trust in fellow humans he had left. He got tiredly to his feet and headed back into the kitchen to get a fresh beer- hoping that another bottle would help him to at least get an hour or two sleep that evening. He hated the way that he was allowing Tracey to get to him again- after all that he went through ten years ago and still he felt the deep feeling of loss upon seeing her again. He consoled himself with the thought that it was just the shock that was making him feel so strongly again.

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**Nine Years and Six Months Earlier**

Callen raised his hand and knocked firmly on the door. The door was wrenched open quickly and the man in front of him quickly looked him up and down- a look of disgust on their face.

"Yes?" he was greeted curtly.

"Sorry man, I don't mean to bother you- but my dog has hurt his paw- do you have some water and some paper towel just so that I can patch him up until I get home" Callen asked, glancing down where his dog sat at his feet- his front paw hovering off the floor and a whimper escaping him as he cast pitiful eyes on the man at the door.

"You cannot bring the dog in here" the man responded in broken English- looking at the dog in front of him in confusion.

"Hey I know man- no disrespect, please just some supplies to help him- he is suffering" Callen explained. He knew full well why dogs weren't allowed into Muslim homes- a fact he had been counting on to execute his plan.

"Wait here, I will return with some supplies" the man reluctantly agreed- his suspicious gaze assessing the American- before heading back inside the premises. Callen gently tickled Buddy's ears- his performance had been worthy of any highly trained government agent.

"Good boy- now go hide" he told him softly, the dog didn't budge from his feet. Callen glanced at his watch noticing they had a matter of minutes before things would get interesting. "Go on Buddy- go hide" he whispered more urgently. The dog got to his feet and whined as he looked at the agent. "I'll be fine- now go" he instructed gesturing the dog frantically away. Buddy looked at his owner one more time before turning and running out of the compound as he had been instructed, one final glance over his shoulders as he went. Callen couldn't help the sense of worry that overcame him as he watched his companion leave- he knew the dog would do as he was told, he just hoped he would be able to get back to him to ensure he made it home safely. He pushed open the door gently and stepped from inside the frame, hunkering down he mentally counted down the seconds until it hit 20:00hrs, and then loud bangs filled the air- suddenly any chance of covert entry was gone and Callen was down to business.

He moved silently through the building, sticking to the main corridor he soon made it to the kitchen door uninterrupted. Carefully he popped the lock open and gun arm canvassing the area in front of him he allowed his partner entry into the premises.

"Smooth" she commented with a grin.

"You know I like to make an entrance" he responded, moving as he spoke. The two moved quickly and efficiently through the rooms checking each one until they reached the library that they searched for. No words were needed as the experienced partners diligently searched the premises undetected.

"You check the cabinets- I'll watch the doors" Callen instructed softly as he stepped through the doorway, his body pressed against the frame his gun tightly gripped in his hand. Tracey moved methodically through the papers, knowing exactly what they were looking for didn't help with the sheer volume of files she had to look through. "Come on- the explosion will only distract them for so long before they come looking" Callen prompted her as the seconds ticked on.

"Ok, ok, ok I'm getting there" Tracey responded as she kept flicking through paper file after paper file- refusing to allow her partner to rush her. "Got it" she whispered as she pulled out a thick file from the penultimate cabinet- forcing it into her rucksack and grinning at her partner.

"Let's get out of here" Callen stated, and his wife needed no further invitation to move. The two stepped out of the room back to back looking from left to right.

"This way- the guards are all at the front" Tracey stated moving towards the side of the building.

"Tracey we haven't fully checked that side" Callen cautioned softly, not liking the move from the plan.

"It's the only way Callen, the guards will be swarming all over the front of this place by now" she whispered urgently- already moving. He had little choice other than to follow her- together the two CIA agents moved quickly, each keen to get out of the building and start the long journey home. They had gone no further than a few metres when they reached a door that was locked solid. "Take it away" Tracey invited with a jerk of her head. Callen sighed dramatically as he pulled his trusty lock pick from his back pocket and set to work on the door in front of them. Within seconds he heard the lock click, and Tracey stepped forward and turned the handle pushing the door gently open. No sooner had the two stepped through the doorway and suddenly the lights were on full force and the shrill of a siren filled the air.

"Shit!" Callen cursed as it became obvious that they had tripped the alarm- the two moved quickly through the building, surveying every doorway and every window. Almost clear to the end of the final corridor and at the window that stood between them and freedom a rapport of gunfire sounded from behind them.

"Move it!" Tracey hollered as she ducked to the left as bullets ricocheted off the wall beside her. Callen turned and fired back at their assailants- taking the opportunity whilst he laid down covering fire Tracey turned and ran the final few metres to the window, smashing the glass with the grip of her gun she swung one leg out. "Come on G!" she yelled as she fired off a couple of rounds towards the guards heading their way.

Callen moved as quick as he could, his hand reaching out and grabbing the window ledge as the group advanced on him. Tracey dropped down from the position to free up the space for her partner. Her feet hit the floor and she set off running, barely glancing back as she headed for the wall that surrounded the premises. Within minutes she was up and over and looking out for Callen to join her.

Callen got one leg up on the sill, and fired off two covering shots to leave himself clear- but he wasn't quite quick enough as a clip full of bullets rained down on him- two of them tearing through his flesh as he lost his grip on the window and dropped to the floor.

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Sam sighed as he walked up to his friend's house, he wasn't sure how his visit would be received by his fiercely independent partner, but something was compelling him to check up on his partner. He had hesitated long enough- if he didn't cross the road soon his partner's freaky sixth sense would start tingly and he would come out to find his partner watching his house in a stalkery kind of way. He locked the car as he crossed the road and raising his hand he knocked on the door. He didn't have to wait long for his friend to appear at the door.

"I'm fine Sam" Callen greeted the older man.

"Sure- you look it" Sam responded.

"You don't need to check up on me" Callen stated with a sigh.

"I'm your partner G- it's my job" Sam replied with a smile edging his way into the house.

"My partner Sam- not my mother" Callen muttered as he reluctantly pushed the door open. Sam stepped through without hesitation for fear that his friend would change his mind.

"So why are you sat in the dark drinking beer by yourself?" Sam questioned as he took in the empty beer bottles.

"No one else to drink it with" Callen muttered darkly as he got himself another bottle from the fridge and handed a second to his friend. Sam accepted it and sipped from the ice cold liquid.

"What's going on G? Seriously share or it's going to eat you alive" Sam requested softly.

"You know what's going on Sam- as usual I got screwed over by someone that was supposed to love me" Callen stated with a bitter tinge to his voice.

"What happened with her?" Sam asked gently as the two men sat down in the garden where Callen had been perched all evening.

"She basically left me in hostile territory- she doesn't follow the seal creed of never leave a man behind" he scoffed as he took a gulp of his beer. Sam allowed him the silence as he was clearly collecting his own thoughts. Finally the team leader started talking and Sam listened intently to every word.

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**Nine Years and Six Months Earlier**

Callen dragged himself to the wall- not missing the trail of blood that he left in his wake. He could feel the life draining out of him as he moved unsteadily through the compound to the wall. He could hear the sound of footsteps behind him as he tried his best to get lost in the darkness. With difficulty he dragged himself over the wall and dropped into the greenery behind it. Taken a second to catch his breath he assessed the damage. The wound to his left arm ached mercilessly, but he knew it would cause him no issues other than restricting his movement. The wound to his stomach was a different story as blood flowed from it. He pressed his hand tightly against the wound that could easily cost him his life and gasped at the pain it caused to surge through him. He closed his eyes against the exhaustion that the loss of blood was causing.

He rested for a moment before he managed to push himself off the wall and headed into the vegetation- Tracey was nowhere to be seen as he staggered forward- he legs felt like jelly and he could feel his blood flowing through his fingers as he moved. When he was satisfied with the distance he had managed to put between him and the guards he slumped against a tree, his right hand still tightly gripping his sidearm- despite being slick with blood. He rested his head back against the trunk and involuntarily closed his eyes as the blood loss forced his body to give up on his tiredness. He could feel himself drifting, his awareness fading as his life fluid seeped out of him.

A short time later and a presence beside him forced his tired eyes to open, a constant nudging of his face irritating him into wakefulness. Weakly he batted the figure away, the unrelenting poking continuing despite his swatting. Finally he fully focussed on the figure beside him as a wet nose rubbed against his face.

"Buddy?" he questioned, ignoring the slur to his voice. A tongue licking his cheek answered his question. "Hi boy" he whispered as his companion nudged him again. "You need to let me rest Buddy" he whispered tiredly as the dog continued to paw at him. A soft bark escaped the Labrador as his master continued to ignore him. Gripping the bloodied, ripped sleeve in his mouth the strong dog tugged on the shirt of his friend, desperately trying to make him move. Callen got to his knees with the dog forcing him to move. Finally he made it unsteadily to his feet and began to stagger through the trees, the dog beside him. The two walked for at least thirty minutes before the dog allowed him to rest again. "Thanks boy- I knew you wouldn't leave me" he whispered as he tenderly stroked the dog now laid at his side. He closed his eyes as he rested his head back against the trunk behind him. He was out before he even realised that the dog had snuggled in beside him- his bodyweight pressed against the still bleeding wound on his stomach.

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"She actually left you? Injured and alone in Pakistan?" Sam questioned incredulously- the story going against everything he stood for.

"She probably didn't know I was injured Sam- she did as the mission brief dictated" Callen responded tiredly.

"She should have waited G" Sam commented as he sipped at his beer. Noticing his friend had nearly drank all of his he headed into the house and grabbed two more bottles- handing one to the younger man.

"Hetty will kill you if I'm hungover in the morning" he stated as he took a drink from the fresh bottle.

"She'll get over it" Sam replied with a shrug. "What happened next?" he questioned, keen for his friend to keep going in his story before he changed his mind.

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**Nine Years and Six Months Earlier**

Callen had lost all concept of time as he laid in the middle of a set of trees bleeding, with only his faithful dog for company. He came round just as the sun was rising in the sky- the pain had dulled to a throb- which he knew from experience wasn't necessarily a good thing. Buddy hadn't budged from by his side, his shoulder pressed into Callen's stomach to stem the blood loss.

"Thanks Buddy" Callen whispered as he patted the dog's head. "I think you need to get us some help" he stated softly, realising that he would struggle to move very far. Buddy whined in response to the words, not wishing to leave his injured owner. "I'll be okay boy, you get help" he asked softly as he felt himself flagging again. Buddy nuzzled against Callen as he whimpered slightly, before turning and running off towards civilisation, Callen's blood staining his fur. Callen said a silent prayer to whoever was listening that Buddy would remember the houses that he had shown him should an emergency occur.

A few hours later and his prayers were answered as the blurry figure of his handler appeared hovering over him.

"Easy Callen- we got you, you'll be just fine" the soothing voice whispered, and that was enough for Callen- as he finally gave up on consciousness and allowed himself to drift away.

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"Wow G- you do get yourself in some binds" Sam commented as he shook his head.

"Tell me about it" Callen agreed reluctantly.

"What happened next?" the former seal questioned, keen to hear the end of the story.

"I got shifted to a military hospital- said I was lucky to be alive. The doctors said that if Buddy hadn't put pressure of the wound for so long then I would have bled out hours before they got to me. He stemmed the bleeding enough that I could wait for help to get to me" Callen explained softly as he drained the last of his beer.

"Wow! Some dog G!" Sam complimented.

"He was. I owe my life to him" Callen whispered softly.

"What happened to him?" Sam asked.

"When I woke up in the hospital I was informed that Tracey had taken him" Callen stated bitterly.

"Just took him without a word?" Sam questioned.

"By all accounts she had managed to get herself to the safe house, she was sat relaxing drinking a cup of tea when Buddy made his way there" Callen stated. "She visited me in the hospital once while I was still unconscious, she had been gone for two days when I woke up" he explained.

"I don't know what to say G- she really screwed you over"

"She sure as hell did. She tried to contact me when I made it back to the states, I never found out what happened to Buddy" Callen commented with a sigh.

"I'm sorry man. Buddy sounds like an awesome dog. Have you ever thought of getting another one?" Sam asked softly.

"What to look out for me? To nag me? To watch my back when under gun fire and to save my ass when I get myself in trouble?" Callen questioned with a quirked eyebrow.

"Something like that" Sam agreed.

"I don't need to Sam" Callen finally replied as he began collecting the empty bottles.

"Ah yeah? And why is that G?" Sam questioned.

"Because now I have you" Callen responded with a grin as he headed back into his house leaving an incredulous partner in his wake.

The End

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